The NUJS Kolkata staffer who was not traceable after a colleague accused him of sexual harassment, physical assault and criminal intimidation by threat of an acid attack, has filed for anticipatory bail.

The Bidhannagar police, which is looking for the accused, told the Times of India:

“There is sufficient evidence for us to arrest the accused. We contacted NUJS but were told that his personal file was missing. This is strange. How can one file vanish soon after the person is accused of a crime.”

The complainant recorded her statement before a magistrate on 8 August and the hearing for the bail application of the accused is scheduled for 14 August.

The accused, who was on leave since the victim complained internally at NUJS, had applied for an extension of leave on 1 August but the administration declined to grant the extension, as reported by Legally India. NUJS vice chancellor Prof Ishwara Bhatt had said that the administration intended to hand him over to the police immediately after he showed up on campus.

Bhatt added that the accused had been asked to submit his “written explanation” to the internal complaint of sexual harassment by 12 August, after consideration of which the committee would begin the inquiry on 20 August.